In concert: Deer Tick
Photo: Jonas Löfvendahl
Kentuckyseven went and saw Deer Tick in Copenhagen, a late Tuesday night, 28th of January. The band gigs Pustervik in Gothenburg this Friday – be sure not to miss it. They’re on top of their game, just the perfect, noisy, most wonderful rock orchestra around.
Introducing the band, all the way from Providence, Rhode Island:
• The frontman: John McCauley. A Tuborg loving genius with the voice, presence & nerve. You never know what he´ll do next; skittish, flighty, volatile. A brilliant, wonderful bare-fist-fighting rocker.
• The guitarman: Ian O’Neill. The Angus Young of Rhode Island. Stomping around the stage with a nervous breakdown in both legs. Does great Pete Seeger (RIP) covers and shines on stage.
• The bassplayer: Chris Ryan. Very preppy, very cool, very Draco Malfoylike. Lock up your daughters.
• The drummer: Dennis Ryan. Very happy, very bearded, very Hagridlike. Lock up your mothers.
• The keyboard/saxophone: Robert Crowell. Very mature, boogie-woogie. Lock up your dads.
We salute them all with a 21 Gun Salute and a shot of the preferred.
The band is just beautiful, mixing rock, folk, blues with their own songwriting and at the same time; very appreciative of their heritage, it´s all about the roots. They end the gig in Copenhagen with La Bamba in their own magical way and yes – the roof blew off poor little danish Vega.
They played 1,5 hours and every song was meant to be. John McCauley drinks his green beer bottles with no hands, frusting and spitting. I don´t know where this band is heading, but they got rock n’ roll in their veins. They got it all. The brilliance, the nerve AND a good time. They laugh, kiss and fool around on stage. Pretty fucking far from Woods.
Listen up Deer Tick’s latest record Negativity. And for Pete’s sake don´t miss the 2010-masterpiece Black Dirt Sessions, with the song Mange. And please, check out the brilliant show-opener The Rock below.
